VGNO - Doing the Tissue Boogie

Its that time of week again and boy do I need it! Its time for the Virtual Girls Night Out, so head on over to Ann's to check out whats going on.

My 2 year old has had a cough for the last, oh, week and a half (he is fine though, acting like his normal self thank goodness, no fever or anything). And along with it he has a bit of a snotty nose. Its not runny snotty, but, uh, booger snotty. I am sure all you moms out there have dealt with this sort of thing many times. Well, Jimmy has discovered how to pick his nose. And the cute part is - yes, there is a cute part - every time he gets a good "catch" he comes running to me with his finger outstretched showing me his prize and wanting a tissue. He is so sweet to come to me wanting a tissue instead of wiping it on my couch or something. Of course, I have caught him eating (GROSSSSSS) them once or twice, and since I have told him not to do that in a mortified voice, I think he has decided it is funny and will continue to do it for the entertainment of mommy's reaction....lol. But luckily most of the time he brings them to me to wipe with a tissue.

And speaking of bringing me things, Jimmy is so sweet, he has been bringing me the dish towel every time I wash my hands at the kitchen sink! It is the cutest thing and he does it most every I wash my hands or do the dishes. I think I have a dish drier in my future, yay!

Ok, so on to Ann's party game. It is one we have played before, but its cute. Its Librarian Alter Ego. Mine is Bubbles Featherbottom. To find out what yours is, go visit Ann's blog! And she is having a giveaway, so check that out too!

Well, thats it for now, I am off to visit a couple blogs before Jimmy wakes up from his nap. I will be around later this evening to visit more. Happy VGNO everyone!

He Would Have Been 7

Today would have been Duke's 7th birthday. We still miss our pup SO very much! Not a day goes by that we don't think about him. This pic was taken a year ago today. Check out my other blog, Cross Creek Farm for another pic of Duke.

Happy Birthdays! & VGNO

Yep, I said "birthdays" plural. Jimmy's 2nd birthday was on Wednesday, the 20th and mine is today. =)  We had a two day celebration for Jimmy's, Wednesday night we had cupcakes and opened his presents from Mommy & Daddy and then yesterday we had his Great Grandparents over and my dad & Kathy (Granddad & Grandma). For that celebration I made Jimmy's special Thomas cake, boy does that kid LOVE Thomas!! We will add a third celebration on Sunday at Jim's parents' house. I can't believe my sweet baby boy is 2 already!! And next year he will have a little brother or sister, wow!! Time just keeps going faster and faster.=(

Here is a pic of Jimmy enjoying his felt hamburger I made him. I also made him felt fruit consisting of an orange slice, 2 apple slices, a strawberry and a banana. He loves them!

As far as my birthday is concerned, hubby had to work late, so I decided to join in VGNO over at Ann's. So go check it out and join in the fun!!

The party game for this week is called "Would You Rather...?" so my question for you is....Would you rather have your significant other/good friend/family member throw you a surprise party for your birthday, or go out (or stay in) and have dinner with your significant other?  I myself would prefer to spend time alone with my hubby and just go out to eat & maybe a movie.

Well, that's it, I hope you have fun at VGNO if you join in and have a wonderful weekend!

They are Coming Home! (Haiti Update)

Rita (Amy's mom), Amy, Doug & the kids, both Grayson AND Dor are coming home!! That means Dor's emergency visa must have gone through (friends who might know, correct me if I am wrong!)! I am not sure of the details yet, but it is so wonderful that they get to come home. We were unsure if Amy and Doug WANTED to come back to the States, but I cannot EVEN imagine having a little baby in Haiti right now. I know they will hate to leave everyone behind for a while, but it will all work out. As soon as I find out more I will let you know.
Amy's dad returned home today and the members of our church that were there have also returned safely. AND the women's team that was with Gretchen at Lifeline returned safely as well. Praise the Lord!

In the meantime, please continue to pray for the Haitian people and those who are giving aid and missions workers who are still there. And I have a specific prayer request for a girl my friend Randi knows who has not been found yet. Please read about Courtney on Randi's blog here.

Thanks so much to everyone for their continued prayers and support. God bless you all!

Menu Plan Monday - January 18th

Alright, I am trying this AGAIN, if at first you don't succeed, try, try again, right? Riiiight...well since I have been pregnant and all, I have not exactly been able to follow a meal plan. It seems every day I have to play it by ear (stomach?) and that is just a bit difficult...so now that I am out of the first trimester I am going to try to get somewhat more organized in the weekly meal department. Luckily if I have the week all planned out, I can switch the meals around if something doesn't sound good for that particular day. If none of it sounds good, then well, I will have to eat cereal or something while Jimmy and hubby eat what I make....hopefully ;-) Ok, here goes.

Monday: Cheese Ravioli with spaghetti sauce and broccoli on the side
Tuesday: Tuna Fish & Rice or Macaroni with green beans on the side
Wednesday: Chicken Enchiladas with rice & corn on the side
Thursday: Beef & Broccoli in the slow cooker (or leftovers if any)
Friday: My Birthday! So hopefully hubby is taking me out to eat.... ;-)
Saturday: Pizza
Sunday: eating at the in-laws

Ok, now mak sure to go over to orgjunkie.com to check out all the great meal ideas for Menu Plan Monday.

Find Me Friday has Moved!!

If you are looking for my Find Me Friday post, please visit my new blog, Cross Creek Farm. I am attempting to do a photo every day this year and decided it would be more fitting to have Find me Friday over there. So please make sure you come join in!! Oh, and please grab the new code from the sidebar on the new blog to update your button if you have one, the new one links to the new blog. Thanks!

1-15-09 Haiti Update

Amy & Doug's well has been repaired and they now have clean, clear water! Praise the Lord!!

Please go over to my friend Angie's blog and read her post from today, some great info and prayer requests. She has been very close to Amy and her family for a long time. Thanks!

Again here is the info if you would like to make a donation:

If anyone is interested in helping Haiti, please contact Don Riedel (843) 899-1841 - Haitian Christian Projects, 808 Ophir Street #7, Moncks Corner, SC 29461... this is a non-profit and 100% goes to Haiti. Please repost!

You Know What I Need? A VGNO!!!

Wow, its been a long time since I joined in Ann's Virtual Girls Night Out, and BOY do I need one tonight!! So hello to everyone I may not have seen in a while and hello to all the new people I haven't met before =)

This week has been horrible concerning the earthquake in Haiti. It tears my heart out. Please check out my previous post to learn a little about the missionaries I support there and to learn about my own experience there.

Ok, now on to Ann's Party! I won't be having anything to drink that has alcohol in it because I am expecting our 2nd baby, due in July. So pass the OJ please! Or maybe I will indulge in a little bubbly - Peach Soda (y'all probably think that sounds gross, but I just LOVE it!!)

Alright, how about a party game....
We are playing "I Would Like To Thank"......well, in light of all that is happening in Haiti,

1.) I Would Like To Thank - the people that have donated to Amy & Doug's mission in Haiti
2.) I Would Like To Thank - my husband for being SUCH a hard worker, he has been going in to work at 5:30am and not coming home until after 7 a lot of nights, plus working Sat & Sun for 5-8 hours for the last 2+ months now.....
3.) I Would Like To Thank - God for taking care of my family and providing us with all that we have, most of it things we really don't need but are "creature comforts" I feel so unworthy knowing what they are going through in Haiti. As if it wasn't bad BEFORE the earthquake, because it was, but now its just plain devastation.

Well, that's it for now, I will be making the rounds a bit later tonight. Happy VGNO and have a lovely weekend!

Haiti Update and A Little About My Time There

Hey everyone, here is an email I received today from my missionary friend's mom:

Hello Everyone,
This is a mass email to make sure everyone knows that we are safe in Haiti, I apologize if it is a duplicate but didn't want to leave anyone out. We are very near the center of the quake that struck Haiti yesterday. Jeff and I arrived on Monday, we're unsure at this point how long we'll be here.

There were no injuries to any of the American team members here, but of course a lot of injuries to Haitians around us. We set up a triage unit in Amy and Doug's front yard last night and worked through the night as best we could to help people. We have food, for now, but our water supply is brown and the well has collapsed. This will obviously need taken care of quickly because we need water. (The well is just one example of how we could use extra financial support right now, if you are able to help I'll include our address and we can access the money asap)

Please know that we are okay and trying to help others in any way we can. I might not be able to reply to each email, we've got one computer to make contact with loved-ones in the states.

Love to all,
RR

Haitian Christian Projects (HCP)
808 Ophir Street #7
Moncks Corner SC 29461

If you are looking for a way to help out the people of Haiti, please PLEASE consider helping these people out! They are amazing, I have known them for years and I went to high school with Amy. She helped me get my job after I graduated from college. She and her mom and dad worked there for years before Amy moved on to other things. Amy and Doug have an infant son and a 3 year old Haitian boy that they are in the process of adopting. This is totally legit so no worries about whether or not your money will be put to good use. Please feel free to email me privately - theblessedcountrymom (at) gmail (dot) com - if you have any questions and I will do the best I can to help you! Here is a link to Doug and Amy's blog - Two Buckeyes in Haiti. It doesn't get updated too often (and won't be for a while I am sure!), but there is good info there.

Oh, just got an update from Amy's brother on facebook as I was typing this:

ATTN friends and family: Just got word from Haiti that our efforts will be focused on a new orphanage. Existing orphanage is total loss and children sleeping on the ground. If anyone is interested in helping Haiti financially, send donations to Haitian Christian Projects, 808 Ophir Street #7, Moncks Corner, SC 2946...1... this is a non-profit and 100% goes to Haiti. Please repost!

I just want to let you all know that Haiti is very near to my heart. I visited there in January 2003. It was my first mission trip, first time out of the country, first time on a plane, and it was my first time away from my family for longer than a few days (though my sister went too, so that helped. And Amy's mom was there, it was kind of like having my own mom with me, she is so sweet!). It was an amazing experience! We stayed with Lifeline in Grand Goave and got to take Layettes to the families with new babies, put on a puppet show for the school children, help in the clinic, and so much more. We even went to the affiliated orphanage in Port Au Prince one day and took them clothes and had snacks with the children. At night we had our meetings/devotions on the roof of the dorm building and it was just beautiful looking up at the stars in the clear night air. There isn't very much light there at night so the stars just POP! Wow, I am being taken back just thinking about it, words just can't describe it. I will have to dig out my photos from our trip and scan them in to show you all. Maybe tomorrow if I can find them....then I will remember so be prepared for a LONG post!

Anyway, Jim has been there too, as have his mom and dad and many other people from our church. Jim's mom is actually the head of our church's missions committee. Jim and I always wanted to go back but unlike brave Amy and Doug, once we had little Jimmy we have been home bound. We want to go back to Haiti someday, but are going to focus on our family here for now. So please look into your hearts and see what you can do to help. Anything will be greatly appreciated, and your prayers and thoughts are always needed!! Thank you for taking the time to read this.

xoxo Ali

PS - If you need another option for an organization to donate to or pray for, you can also make a donation to Lifeline, a mission that my church is associated to, through their website. Just go to www.lifeline.org and click on the "Make a Donation" link in the upper right hand corner of their homepage. (Again, this is a separate organization from Doug and Amy's!)

Prayer Request - Haiti Earthquake

Hey everyone, just wanted to ask for your prayers real quick. Some of you may have heard about the horrible earthquake in Haiti this afternoon. We have members of our church there right now, some are serving as missionaries and live there and we also have a team visiting Lifeline Christian Mission (please click the link if you would like to learn more). As far as we know all of our people are safe, though one woman at the mission, not from our church, may have broken ribs. There are many Haitians who are injured and without homes, etc. Everyone needs prayer right now!! Thank you so much and I will try to have an update soon.

I FINALLY Had My Dr. Appt

I finally went to the doctor today, to get my prenatal care started. I had to wait so long because I changed doctors and the earliest appointment for new patients was today. Everything seems to be well thank goodness! He said I am about 14 weeks along with a tentative due date of July 10th. AND I got to hear the baby's heartbeat!! So now I "feel" like it is real, before I was just wondering and it seemed hard to believe. Once you hear that heartbeat though, ahhhh! My ultrasound will be when I am about 18-20 weeks along so then I will have pics to show! I hope the hubby can come with me this time, when I was pregnant with Jimmy Jim didn't get to come. So hopefully he and Jimmy can come to the ultrasound, that would be wonderful!

Oh, and I had to get my blood drawn of course and the reason I am talking about that is because I have always been VERY squeamish about giving blood! For pregnancy #1 I had to have like 9 vials of blood taken and I remember getting all lightheaded and dizzy and hot and sweaty...it was not fun!! So I had to sit there for a couple minutes and then I felt good enough to go out in my car and sit a little longer. Then what did I do? I went to McDonald's and got a milkshake lol! Luckily the place where I had my blood drawn was right across the street from where I worked at the time, so I didn't have far to go before I could sit and relax. So anyway...since then I have had to have blood drawn more and more because I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism. So I have to get my blood tested every few months to make sure my thyroid meds are keeping me at the right levels, etc...So today when I had my blood drawn, I barely even flinched! Yay me!! I think she took about 4 vials this time. AND I have always been difficult to get blood FROM too, my veins don't like to cooperate, so that caused problems in the past. But not today! She didn't have any issues at all. I was so proud of myself lol.

So yeah, wasn't that a lovely story? Ok, you can get back to what you were doing now ;-) I will have another pregnancy update in a month, my next appointment is February 8th.

Happy Bloggiversary to ME!!

I almost forgot, today is my 1 Year Bloggiversary! Wow, a lot has happened in a year. I already mentioned a few highlights in my New Years post so check it out. Otherwise, I have learned so much in the past year. I have learned more about html and web coding, & design techniques (including digital scrapbooking). Lots about babies and raising children, fun activities for toddlers, healthy recipes... I discovered a bunch of awesome blogs about frugal/thrifty home decorating and this year I am going to try to be more active in decorating MY home...I have joined in a few different photo memes and discovered many different circles of bloggers. My blog has gone from being more focused on babies and being a "crunchy" mom to just being about our lives and life on our small farm. I decided there were waaay too many mommy blogs out there so I had to do my own thing (no offense to the mommy bloggers out there!!). My blog is all over the place, but so am I! And all of the people I have met are wonderful, I have to thank Ann for her Virtual Girls Night Out for meeting many of my bloggy friends (so hop over and check out her blog if you haven't for a while, or if you have never been there!). You have all been there with my through happiness and pain, depression and excitement in the last year. I am very excited to share another year with you all! Here's to learning more and gaining new interests and new friends in the coming year! Here is a link to my very first blog post for those interested. Read from there if you have time, you may see something new to you!

Ok, I did it!

I started a daily photo blog for 2010. I figured with all the new stuff going on in our lives (new puppies and baby #2 on the way, etc) I should try to document it. AND we named our farm. We are calling it Cross Creek Farm because a creek runs across our property and there will soon be a cross next to the creek by Duke's grave. My lovely friend Angie's son Mackenzie was so sweet to make us a big wooden cross with Duke's name on it when he died, so in the spring when we plant Duke's memorial tree, we will also put the cross up. And of course having "cross" in our farm name signifies our relationship with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. And don't worry, I will still be posting here, the other blog will just be a photo a day, maybe participating in different blogs' photo challenges. I WILL be moving Find Me Friday over there, not sure if I will do that tomorrow or not, we'll see....Ok, so go check out the new blog already! Click here!

Fun in the Snow

What a way to start the new year...

I just can't catch a break!! Jimmy came down with a stomach flu on New Year's Eve, then I got it on Saturday and I still feel YUCKY. Its probably worse because I am pregnant, but JEEZ!! And to top it off, my sis and brother-in-law and my nephew were here visiting from NC - we messed up plans to visit family and get all the nephews together. Major bummer, they ended up going home a day early. But I am super thankful that they were here to help take care of Jimmy while I was sick Saturday and Jim was at work. I could not function at all! They actually had this bug on Christmas so hopefully they don't get a second round of it (did they bring it to us?? I have no idea, how long can germs live outside the body? Super germs!! lol). So all of my intentions to start the new year off great floundered, oooh except for the one to eat better!! So far that one is going awesome and I have even lost a little weight, teehee.

Oh and today I had to take Luke to the vet to get his shots and I decided to take Jimmy with us. I was going to take him to my stepmom's, but after the weekend decided I should just go to the vet and get home...ha! BIG mistake! Jimmy was such a little dickens! He wouldn't sit still, kept turning the light off in the exam room and then when we were trying to leave he would not come with me! I usually have Jim take the dogs to the vet, I am not usually one to take a naughty little toddler somewhere like that, but I guess I am just not in the right mindset and thought, "Oh, he will be fine, MY little guy listens to me perfectly!" WOW, what was I THINKING!! So he will not be going with me to take Luke to the vet anymore. Even if I feel totally fine, he will have to learn to behave in a different setting! Umm....can we say terrible two's? I never quite believed in that before but..... O_o

Well, that's enough ranting for today, I don't want to turn this blog into a whine and complain blog for 2010! ;-) Happy Monday everyone!